Overview
The project’s primary objective was to develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary societal concerns regarding the impact of human activities on the natural world. The study also sought to reassess the significance of sounds (“noise,” “music”) and explore the utilization of technological media in the context of local avifauna. Drawing upon a multi-sited ethnographic approach, the study centered on examining the listening practices of individuals with ornithological and musical training, aiming to comprehend their auditory sensibilities and conceptualizations of experiences and perceptions while immersed in natural settings.
The research team compiled a database of interview recordings, field notes and audio recordings. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned field research in Australia had to be canceled. As an alternative comparative location, Iceland was chosen, given its unique avifauna, which differs significantly from that of Central and Western Europe. Generally, the pandemic made personal encounters with people, such as interviews and participant observations in 2020 and 2021, difficult. Nevertheless, the team members conducted 39 interviews during the project period, exceeding our initial plan of 24 interviews. Approximately two-thirds of the interviewees are individuals with field ornithological interests or professionals in the fields of ornithology and bioacoustics. The remaining one-third of the interviewees have an artistic and musical interest in the sound world of birds.
Participant observation involved participating in two field ornithology training courses led by Birdlife Lucerne and a field trip with researchers from the Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach. Since we began conducting interviews in 2019 with the intention of continuing participant observations in 2020, the latter aspect of our research was more affected by the pandemic’s measures than the interviews. As a result, some interviews and workshops were conducted online.
Furthermore, we placed a stronger focus on autoethnography and field recording of birds than initially planned. During our fieldwork, we recorded the biospheres we visited individually or as a group. Notably, the nature protection area Wauwilermoos emerged as a core study site for our team (see the documentary film at > link see below). In addition, we had the opportunity to conduct a workshop with recordist Eloisa Matheu, allowing us to share and discuss our field experiences with a professional bioacoustician and bird recording pioneer. The audio recordings proved to be crucial for understanding the sonic differences among the visited habitats, as they complemented the individual experiences described in the interviews and during field visits.
